Cardinal Nine Inks Blockbuster Class
November 17, 2004 | Baseball
Nov. 17, 2004
LOUISVILLE, KY - Chris Dominguez, ranked by Baseball America as the top high school third baseman in the nation, headlines a group of four young men who have signed letters of intent to compete for the University of Louisville baseball team beginning in 2005-06.
Dominguez, who hails from Gulliver Prep in Miami, is joined by prep teammate and right-handed pitcher Andrew Salguiero, outfielder Alec Lowrey, from Pace HS in Miami and Casey Albanese an infielder from the Tampa area.
"We are very excited about the talent level of these four guys. Each one will have a chance to make an impact here early in their careers," noted Cardinal Head Baseball Coach Lelo Prado.
"Only losing four seniors this year, we knew we had to really narrow our recruiting base and find guys who not only want to get to the next level, but truly wanted to come to the University of Louisville first. They are first class people that will help us build on the tradition of Cardinal Baseball," Prado added.
The Cardinal Nine will open brand new Jim Patterson Stadium this spring, located just west of Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, and will play their final season in Conference USA beginning in February before joining the BIG EAST in '05-06.
Twenty letter winners return from the 2004 Cardinals.
A detailed look at the 2004 U of L baseball recruiting class:
Chris Dominguez
6'5"/220lbs
3B
Gulliver Prep/Miami, FL.
#1 Ranked HS Third Baseman in the country, #11 Ranked HS player overall by Baseball America. AFLAC High School All-American, All State, All Dade County. Played in the 2004 East Coast Baseball Showcase, the 2004 North/South all-star game and in the Perfect Game National Tournament. Hit .380 with 8HR and 25 RBI as a junior. Touted as the 5th best 2005 prospect at the 2003 area code games. Member of the 2002 USA Baseball Youth National Team. Chose UofL over Stanford, Arizona St., NC State, and San Diego St.
Coach Prado on Chris- "Chris will make an immediate impact, and is the type of player who can really elevate a program. He is one of the top players in the country and is a legitimate 5 tool player. He will be the highest ranked player ever to step foot on a college campus in the state of Kentucky."
Andrew Salguiero
6'1/180lbs
RHP
Gulliver Prep/Miami, FL.
All Dade County, All-Conference. Played in the 2004 North/South all-star game and the Perfect Game National Tournament. Was 6-2 with 3 saves as a junior with 66 strikeouts in 50 innings. Chose UofL over LSU and Florida International.
Coach Prado on Andrew- "Andrew has the ability to be a great pitcher for us over the next four years. He has a plus fastball and a good mix of off-speed pitches with great command. He is a hard worker and keeps getting better. We will look for him to contribute early in his career."
Alec Lowrey
6'2/190lbs
OF
Pace HS/Miami, FL.
All Broward County, All-Conference. Played in the 2004 North/South all-star game, the 2004 East Coast Baseball Showcase, and the Perfect Game National Tournament. Hit .407 with 4 HR, and 25 RBI as a junior. Chose UofL over Mississippi, Stetson and New Orleans.
Coach Prado on Alec- "Alec is an exceptional athlete who can play any outfield position. He has a plus arm, he runs well and will hit for average and power. He will be a special player in our program and we look for him to have a great career here at UofL."
Casey Albanese
5'10"/175lbs
INF
Durant HS/Lithia, FL.
All County, All District in the Tampa area. Played in the Wood Bat Skills Camp in St. Petersburg. Hit .444 as a junior with 10 doubles and 2 Homeruns. Chose UofL over West Virginia, and High Point.
Coach Prado on Casey- "Casey is the type of player we want here at UofL. A tough hard-nosed player who works to become the best player he can be. He is a line drive hitter who runs well and can play multiple positions in the infield."
